Conventional beamformers typically include an array of linearly disposed transducers that simultaneously receive signals from multiple angular directions depending on the sensitivity of the transducers. To identify the presence of a signal received from a particular direction in a region monitored by the array of transducers, the beamformer device delays signals received on the array of transducers via use of time delay circuits coupled to corresponding transducers in the array. A magnitude of the time delays associated with the time delay circuits dictates the angle of a directional beam being monitored by the beamformer device.
Typically, the time-delayed electronic signals outputted by respective time delay circuits are summed to produce an output signal that is sampled by a processor circuit. Based on sampling the output signal of a respective summer circuit, the processor circuit identifies whether a signal is received at a particular angle (as dictated by the time delay circuits) in a region monitored by the array of transducers. Thus, in SONAR (Sound Navigation Ranging) imaging applications, a conventional beamformer device can be deployed to detect echo signals and identify a presence of objects in a monitored region. That is, a transmitter in a vicinity of the array of transducers transmits a pulse in the monitored region. Prior to generation of the pulse, the beamformer device steers its directional beam associated with the array of transducers to detect reflections of the pulse that occur as a result of a presence of an object in the monitored region.